Services

We Can Help at Any Contract Stage

Contracts can be opened at any time. Though, different carrier leverages and negotiation strategies must be applied depending upon the current contractual situation, carrier liabilities and the long-term plans of your business.

The carriers operate in a highly competitive and dynamic environment. The contract negotiation process is their primary tool to retain margin, maintain market share and secure long-term revenue. It is understandable that the carriers have devoted a great deal of time and resources to perfect negotiations to ensure they receive the most favorable outcome.

After a lengthy and intensive carrier negotiation, many companies feel they have earned the best possible rates, terms and conditions for their business. They believe that large commitments and market changes drove savings. However, after conducting, leading and witnessing literally thousands of negotiations, G2 has seen that the majority of companies never reach their potential, despite revenue commitments, internal efforts, brand or carrier relationship.

As single-focused experts, G2 has developed specific strategies to address multiple negotiation scenarios and best-in-class solutions to help you better manage your business.

Our Services

Mid-Term Negotiations

Multiple-Carrier RFP

Carrier Consolidation

Incumbent-Only

Wireless Optimization

End-of-Term Negotiations

Recently Executed Contracts

Terms & Conditions

Commitment Shortfalls

International Negotiations

TEM Sourcing Advisory

Restructuring

Mergers/Acquisitions

Shared Services

Advisory Services

Mid-Term Negotiations

Contracts can be opened at any time. Though, different carrier leverages and negotiation strategies must be applied depending upon the current contractual situation, carrier liabilities and the long-term plans of your business.

In our practice within this narrow space of the telecom industry, we can immediately and with 100% success negotiate world-class pricing through mid-term negotiations. Carrier contracts can be opened up and evaluated at any time.

We use our Insider Knowledge and Benchmark Intelligence to go beyond just creating new agreements and savings through market rate decreases. By definition, most deals signed on any given date will be average. G2 aggressively leverages the carriers to provide leading-edge pricing, terms and conditions provided only to the top 2% of the market.

Maximizes long-term savings

Strategy may be Incumbent-Only or Multiple Carrier RFP

Certain and immediate opportunity for major cost reduction

Any delay results in lost savings that cannot be recovered

Carriers want customers to pay high rates for as long as possible

Current carrier commitments are minimized and managed appropriately

A competitive RFP is not necessary to leverage carriers for world-class pricing

No carrier or technology migration is necessary

Purely a financial exercise to reduce costs

For more information on G2’s capabilities in this practice area please contact us.

Multiple-Carrier RFP

Telecom RFP’s are the most time consuming, tedious and difficult sourcing exercises – and they do not guarantee the best results.

However, the competitive RFP environment is not enough. Incumbents know they do not need to approach non-incumbent pricing due to migration costs. Non-incumbent carriers rarely provide enough savings to justify network migrations because they believe the incumbent will naturally win. Simply put, non-incumbents are motivated to protect disclosing their best rates in an environment where historically they lose over 90% of the time. As a third party, professional negotiator using our Benchmark Intelligence and Insider Knowledge, we force the carriers to dismiss these notions and provide their absolute best-in-class contracts.

Vendor perceptions, motivations and reservations can only be managed by consultants with experience as true carrier negotiators.

We deliver savings earlier through our 6 to 8 week process

Our 100% management of the RFP reduces your internal time and resources by 95%

Carriers are invited based upon your selection or our recommendations

Only with extreme savings and sound business principles will G2 recommend carrier migration

We provide the statistical information to all carriers so that incumbents and non-incumbents have the same information to create a pure competitive environment

100% of our negotiations include the Tier-1 local, long distance and wireless carriers

Our streamlined RFP is founded on each clients’ specific requirements and single-focused on improving carrier contracts

We provide all the carriers with the statistical information they need to price your business aggressively

For more information on G2’s capabilities in this practice area please contact us.

Carrier Consolidation

The first step in combining services is contractually consolidating carriers. Carrier and contract consolidations result in more elastic commitments, streamlined and simplistic procurement processes, centralized and consolidated carrier invoices, deeper discounts and overall flexibility for your business.

Carrier Minimum Annual Commitments (MAC/MARC) and other liabilities are purposeful and inhibit companies from strategically managing their telecom volumes. While commitments cannot be completely eliminated, leverage can be applied in the negotiation to better manage your carriers and ultimately consolidate your business.

Carrier consolidation is defined to be both internal and external. Internal consolidation occurs when the products and service categories with the same carrier are brought under one contract and one commitment. External consolidation is the pulling together of multiple carrier services under a primary (and perhaps secondary) carrier while eliminating other vendors.

Companies almost never have their complement of carrier agreements be “Coterminous.” Typically, every contract has a unique end date, therefore precluding consolidation. The solution is not a quick fix. The first step is to negotiate all carriers across the board (both Mid-Term and Incumbent-Only negotiations will be the predominate strategy) and put all carrier agreements under the same start date and consolidate internally. During this initial negotiation, carrier leverages may exist to implement some external consolidation based upon uncommitted revenue. The second step occurs during subsequent negotiations when all carrier agreements expire on the same date and any further consolidation is desired.

G2 negotiates coterminous agreements across all carriers and service types

Consolidate local, long distance and wireless under a single carrier contract with a single commitment

Better leverage your business with incumbent carriers for future negotiations and with more options

For more information on G2’s capabilities in this practice area please contact us.

Incumbent-Only

G2 does not rely upon a competitive environment, large commitments or other commonly held carrier leverages that are utilized to extract carrier savings. We hold the carriers to a simple standard. We know the very best rates in the industry, the Top 2%, and we hold your carrier to this requirement.

In order to maximize long-term savings, Carrier agreements should be opened up and negotiated when sufficient leverage exists and market changes allow. It is not necessary to wait for the end-of-term to leverage incumbent carriers for better price points. Over 50% of our practice is negotiating solely with the incumbent carrier, where a competitive environment does not exist.

It is a misconception that a Multiple Carrier RFP (Request for Proposal) is the only way to extract the largest amount of savings during a contract negotiation. As an independent consultancy, and as former carrier negotiators, we have the immediate credability needed to instill the threat of loss even when negotiating solely with an incumbent carrier. Our benchmark intelligence gives us the ability to identify the leading edge of the market and the authority to request of the carriers the specific price points, terms and conditions to create a World Class agreement at any time.

The strategy with the carriers is simple, either write down your business today or lose it tomorrow.

We leverage our benchmark intelligence to extract savings that is identical as to what that carrier would offer in a fully competitive RFP

Negotiations result in a pure decrease in cost with zero impact to service or end users

An RFP is not necessary to maximize leverage with your incumbent carrier

Through carrier coaching we help the carrier help themselves in retaining your business

We utilize a Carrier Requirements LetterSM that is detailed on the price points, terms and conditions necessary to retain your business

This strategy remains 100% successful in over a decade of professionally negotiating contracts

50% of the negotiations we conduct are incumbent only

For more information on G2’s capabilities in this practice area please contact us.

Wireless Optimization

The Wireless industry requires customers to pay a significant price for unused minutes or for “overage” minutes that cost the carriers the same as a standard “plan” minute. Every month that a company is billed for wireless accounts that are not optimized represents one month of charges that can never be recovered.

Negotiations must be conducted in conjunction with a wireless optimization. Wireless Optimizations alone do not maximize savings.

With G2, Wireless Optimization is a mechanism to decrease cost coupled with a streamlined provisioning mapping process. Complicated carrier billing formats, ever changing rate plans & features, and unstable end user usage volumes creates a wireless environment that is clearly in favor of the carriers. We change the paradigm in which wireless services are procured by extracting wireless billing and usage data at the lowest carrier billing element and benchmarking current price points against the leading edge of the market. G2 forensically aligns each and every wireless subscriber line and all associated plans, usage, discounts & features with World Class pricing to enforce an enterprise-wide strategy directed at minimizing cost and maximizing flexibility.

Immediate opportunity for cost reduction so why wait for savings that are non recoverable

Pure financial exercise with no impact to service or disruption to end-users

There is typically no carrier or technology migration

Optimization alone will not produce the savings our clients require, a true optimization must also include the negotiation of industry leading plans & pricing

With an accurate inventory and volume trend, we establish the optimal rate plan configuration for each subscriber line based on unique usage & feature requirements

For more information on G2’s capabilities in this practice area please contact us.

End-of-Term Negotiations

We use our Insider Knowledge and Benchmark Intelligence to go beyond just creating new agreements and savings through market rate decreases. By definition, most deals signed on any given date will be average. G2 aggressively leverages the carriers to provide leading-edge pricing, terms and conditions provided only to the top 2% of the market

Agreements that are near the end of their term typically have the fullest flexibility regarding negotiation strategies. Common strategies are either a fully competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) or an incumbent only bid. In either scenario, as former carrier negotiators, G2 has the instant and full credibility needed to apply the appropriate leverage points and employ the most aggressive strategy. Many things need to be evaluated in a new negotiation such as technology changes, network migration costs and any possible commitment shortfalls.

Telecom RFP’s are the most time consuming, tedious and difficult sourcing exercises. G2 leads and manages the entire RFP process – data collection, inventory creation, document development, carrier administration, process management, timeline enforcement, proposal evaluations, savings analysis, Carrier Coaching, legal reviews and rate implementation validation. However, the competitive RFP environment is not enough. Incumbents know they do not need to approach non-incumbent pricing because of migration costs. Non-incumbent carriers rarely provide enough savings to justify network migrations because they believe the incumbent will naturally win. Simply put, non-incumbents are motivated to protect disclosing their best rates in an environment where historically they lose over 90% of the time. As a third party, professional negotiator using our Benchmark Intelligence and Insider Knowledge, we force the carriers to dismiss these notions and provide their absolute best-in-class contracts.

It is also a misconception that a Multiple Carrier RFP (Request for Proposal) is the only way to extract the largest amount of savings during a contract negotiation. As an independent consultancy and former carrier negotiators, we have the immediate creditability needed to instill the threat of loss even when negotiating solely with an incumbent carrier. Utilizing our benchmark intelligence to identify the leading edge of the market we have the authority to request of the carriers the specific price points, terms and conditions to create a World Class agreement at any time.

Depending on negotiation strategy an RFP may or may not be necessary, an RFP is not needed to apply the proper amount of leverage with the carriers to obtain leading edge rates

We have the precedents to thwart carrier threats of reverting to tariffed rates

We can manage the negotiation process even past contract expiration dates while eliminating any carrier-imposed liabilities due to expired agreements

With contract expiration dates fast approaching, we can prepare and create the necessary customized inventory in less than two weeks

We typically close out negotiations in 6-8 weeks

Through carrier coaching we help the carrier help themselves in retaining your business

For more information on G2’s capabilities in this practice area please contact us.

Recently Executed Contracts

Agreements that have been recently signed are without question the most difficult to negotiate. However, applying G2’s superior resources can establish savings that are as drastic as if the agreements were at the end of their term.

Ethics, fair business practices and legal terms confine a company to live up to signed contractual documents. That being said, as former carrier negotiators with insider knowledge, G2 has the instant and full credibility needed to apply the appropriate pressures on the carrier to open those agreements up and maximize long term savings. As a credible third party, G2 shifts leverages away from the carriers through managing commitments to a minimum, positioning unprofitable price points and establishing the overall threat of loss. The ultimate position is that the carriers need to concede to G2’s pricing requirements or this will be the beginning of the end for the relationship. The concept is simple; the carriers write down their business today or lose it tomorrow.

The best way to see if there is an opportunity for cost reduction is to allow G2 to conduct a risk free Value Assessment of where your new contractual rates lie in the market.

Carrier contracts and associated commitments can be “opened up” and evaluated at any time

Telecom expenses that are billed at correct contractual rates, regardless of whether or not those rates are competitive, are non recoverable. If a telecom contract has recently been executed, time is of the essence to verify if those rates are leading edge

Even in newly signed agreements we can hold the carriers accountable for supplying non competitive rates

Although this is incumbent only and early in term negotiation, if the carrier does not perform to our requirements we will manage the commitments to a minimum

We can set the stage for instilling with the carrier the threat of loss

50% of the negotiations we conduct are incumbent only

For more information on G2’s capabilities in this practice area please contact us.

Terms & Conditions

Establishing a best in class telecommunications contract does not end with negotiating leading edge pricing, best in class terms and conditions are equally as powerful.

Price points are constantly changing but there is a limit as to how good terms and conditions can get. G2 knows the very best terms & conditions in the market and leverages that knowledge and precedent in every negotiation we conduct. In order to provide your company with the flexibility it needs, while minimizing your liabilities with the carriers, terms and conditions need to be established that relate to your business – not just the carrier’s. The largest strength is the knowledge of what the carriers are willing to concede.

Do not let the carriers enforce an agreement that only protects their interests and security. G2 negotiates terms and conditions that equally protect yours.

With our experience as carrier negotiators we have been witness to the very best terms and conditions offered

Terms and conditions are typically standard and off the shelf. We negotiate terms and conditions that are specific to the needs of your business while further gaining flexibility within your commitments

Carriers will often claim that many points within proposed terms and conditions are standard and non negotiable. We have the insider knowledge and precedents to dispel those claims

Service Level Agreements (SLA) and Quality of Service (QoS) standards can be extremely difficult to negotiate but can have powerful impacts to your business when negotiated to the leading edge of what the carriers will concede to

Best in class rates are not reliant upon large commitments

For more information on G2’s capabilities in this practice area please contact us.

Commitment Shortfalls

No company should ever pay shortfall penalties to the carriers.

G2 has the precedents to know what the carriers are willing to concede to when attempting to apply shortfall penalties. The reality is, carriers attempt to use volume commitments as a ploy to offer better rates. Through our experience as former carrier negotiators, G2 has the Insider Knowledge to dispel what the carriers want you to believe. Volumes and price points are not linear. When a client is facing shortfall penalties, G2 will stop the carriers from applying those penalties based on the precedents we have, establish a commitment that is appropriate for the client’s volume of business and most likely reduce costs. G2 can accomplish this because we have the instant and full credibility with the carriers to establish that the volume commitments enforced were inappropriate in the first place.

The fundamental argument is a simple one. No one knows your volumes better than the carriers themselves so why would they allow you to over commit yourself?

Carriers use shortfall penalties as leverage to force you into a new bad deal

Commitments are arbitrary and should not be imposed for better pricing

We are a source of precedents to hold the carrier accountable for their inequitable correlation between price points and commitments

We have seen countless carrier contracts that have the same price points as yours with half the volume commitments

We have the experience and credibility to hold the carriers accountable for imposing commitments on you that were improper

The carriers know your usage and spend volumes better than you do

For more information on G2’s capabilities in this practice area please contact us.

International Negotiations

G2’s experience negotiating international telecom services, both wireless and wireline, is extensive through over a decade as a consultancy and also in terms of negotiations on behalf of the carriers. Due to the scope and size of clients that G2 represents the majority of our negotiations include many components of international negotiations. Most of these negotiations involve complex, multipoint wireline network services that span the full spectrum of MPLS, Private Line, Frame Relay and International Access. Our expertise is inclusive of international locations throughout Canada, Latin America, South America, virtually all of Europe, Australia, and Asia (with an extensive focus on Pac-Rim countries).

Within the carrier-world, there were many instances of negotiations that took place that incorporated wireless concerns. Specifically, G2’s Cofounder & President John Sinsley negotiated Sprint’s contract agreement with Iridium, a unique carrier with an expansive global reach. Other companies that were negotiated by John for international concerns (he was lead for National Accounts and all of Sprint’s Government Accounts) include Boeing-Rockwell, Exxon, NASA, the operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Office of the White House, and the former FTS-2000 bid that was won jointly by Sprint and MCI.

G2 feels that international-specific negotiations for segments of business do not dramatically differ from the domestic US – though, we recognize that the domestic US is “much more easily” served in many capacities. It is commonplace that many carriers with domestic concerns have strategic counterparts internationally, so there are two points of contact to work through on the “account team” basis, and furthermore on the financial, decision-making side of business negotiations.

For more information on G2’s capabilities in this practice area please contact us.

TEM Sourcing Advisory

Typically, cost reduction is not the only driver for outsourcing. It has the potential to have a significant impact on business through improving the quality of operations and administrative services along with reducing fixed and variable costs. Establishing the right outsourcing solution can result in substantial optimization of critical business functions.

G2 is the leader in Outsourcing Advisory Services specific to the narrow industry of Telecom Expense Management & Mobile Device Management. Through these advisory services, we provide our clients with the strategic business expertise and operational experience needed to create the foundation for successful sourcing solutions and partnerships. When engaging in a sourcing relationship, it is imperative to establish value now and flexibility for the future.

From the needs assessment to implementation, all the way through to vendor performance management, our experts have the fullest depth and capabilities in all areas of TEM & MDM to manage and support every step of the outsourcing lifecycle. With so many outsourcing options (SaaS/hosted, licensed or BPO/managed) and a vast array of TEM suppliers, our Insider Knowledge of the industry is an essential asset in analyzing the cost and risk, implementing the right sourcing solution and minimizing the impact to business. The result, increased process efficiencies and deep sourcing savings that directly impact your bottom line and further increase profitability.

For more information on G2’s capabilities in this practice area please contact us.

Restructuring

With so many industries in a very fragile state, it is not uncommon for an organization to find itself in a distressed situation. There are a multitude of opportunities and solutions that can provide relief to a company in distress. One such opportunity is often overlooked. The opportunity to decrease telecommunications expenses and minimize carrier contract liabilities can have a significant positive impact to a business. Telecom expenses are generally a top five, non-core expense with annual spends ranging from hundreds of thousands to hundreds of millions of dollars per year.

In business, a dollar saved does not translate to a dollar earned. A dollar saved equates to twenty dollars in new revenues. Over G2’s near decade of helping clients reduce telecom expenses through strategic sourcing and contract negotiation services we have saved our clients 35.6% on average. An example of the impact G2 can have on a distressed company is illustrated by some very simple, yet proven math.

_____________________________________________________________

Annual Telecom Expense – $1,200,000

Cost Reduction via G2 – 35.6%

Annual Cost Reduction – $427,200

Cost Reduction translated to new revenues – $8,544,000

_____________________________________________________________

The savings opportunity and financial relief that G2 can deliver is immediate. Our typical telecom negotiation and cost reduction process is initiated and completed with in eight weeks with zero impact to business. These savings stem from a pure financial exercise that is 100% led and managed by G2. If your business is restructuring you cannot afford to over look one of your largest expenses.

For more information on G2’s capabilities in this practice area please contact us.

Mergers/Acquisitions

The merging of two or more companies is an extremely complex and difficult task. Every phase in the acquisition or merger process has a very high probability of costly and time-consuming errors being encountered. The most successful mergers follow a structured and focused road map with clear strategic objectives, detailed implementation plans and a focus on minimizing disruptions to business.

One of the many M&A complexities is the alignment and consolidation of telecommunications networks, inventories, carriers, buying agreements and carrier support teams. A disciplined approach to managing a successful telecom consolidation lies in the leadership and execution. G2’s experience provides companies undergoing M&A’s with the detailed framework, strategic objectives and flexible approach to provide a customized solution to successfully accomplish what is other wise a daunting task.

ANALYZE – EXECUTE – INTEGRATE

We fully understand that each company has internal resources that have direct responsibility over specific segments of the day-to-day telecom and information technology business operations. G2 interacts with those teams to identify where improvements should be made in order to fully capture the value of the M&A. Properly merged networks, consolidated carrier agreements and improved pricing, terms and conditions result in drastic cost reductions and process efficiencies.

Strategic telecom sourcing strategies for cost containment supporting long term growth and profitability

For more information on G2’s capabilities in this practice area please contact us.

Shared Services

Today’s environment for corporate executives is filled with stringent shareholder demands, highly dynamic markets and ever-changing technologies. Even after achieving drastic cost reductions and increases to productivity, there is still no relief from the next generation of business obstacles. These challenges coupled with decentralized environments stemming from mergers, acquisitions and partnerships make today’s world for business leaders a difficult one. Within this nest of challenges lies a very real and growing problem – how to manage telecom sourcing with severe decentralization and disparate business units.

Through G2’s Shared Services Advisory solutions we lead clients in assessing, consolidating and executing world-class telecom agreements, thus streamlining telecom sourcing and drastically reducing costs. Leveraging the telecom volumes and commitments of stand alone business units, consolidating carriers and carrier agreements, minimizing liabilities and applying rates that are at the leading edge of the market has a powerful impact on business.

Carrier migration and consolidation

Inventory and Network Services Profile creation and analysis

Coterminous and consolidated carrier agreement execution

Contract negotiation process 100% led and managed by G2

Single POC for carrier support teams

Leveraged volume commitments

Carrier agreements vs network services GAP analysis

Current pricing vs Benchmark evaluation

Commitment volume management, carrier liability control

Managed telecom sourcing strategies for cost containment supporting long term growth and profitability

For more information on G2’s capabilities in this practice area please contact us.

Advisory Services

G2 provides Advisory Services to Fortune 500 and Global 100 companies across all industries. Our clients are some of the most well-known names in business with telecom infrastructures spanning across the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific. Companies face similar struggles but not all scenarios are the same. By employing certain segments of G2’s core competency, Telecom Contract Negotiations, we can apply niche solutions to address specific client environment needs. Whether a company is facing mergers & acquisitions, experiencing business downturns & restructuring or working to centralize disparate business units G2’s results driven solutions can provide the crucial leadership necessary to achieve corporate goals.

For more information on G2’s capabilities in this practice area please contact us.

Mid-Term Negotiations

Contracts can be opened at any time. Though, different carrier leverages and negotiation strategies must be applied depending upon the current contractual situation, carrier liabilities and the long-term plans of your business.

In our practice within this narrow space of the telecom industry, we can immediately and with 100% success negotiate world-class pricing through mid-term negotiations. Carrier contracts can be opened up and evaluated at any time.

We use our Insider Knowledge and Benchmark Intelligence to go beyond just creating new agreements and savings through market rate decreases. By definition, most deals signed on any given date will be average. G2 aggressively leverages the carriers to provide leading-edge pricing, terms and conditions provided only to the top 2% of the market.

Maximizes long-term savings

Strategy may be Incumbent-Only or Multiple Carrier RFP

Certain and immediate opportunity for major cost reduction

Any delay results in lost savings that cannot be recovered

Carriers want customers to pay high rates for as long as possible

Current carrier commitments are minimized and managed appropriately

A competitive RFP is not necessary to leverage carriers for world-class pricing

No carrier or technology migration is necessary

Purely a financial exercise to reduce costs

For more information on G2’s capabilities in this practice area please contact us.

Multiple-Carrier RFP

Telecom RFP’s are the most time consuming, tedious and difficult sourcing exercises – and they do not guarantee the best results.

However, the competitive RFP environment is not enough. Incumbents know they do not need to approach non-incumbent pricing due to migration costs. Non-incumbent carriers rarely provide enough savings to justify network migrations because they believe the incumbent will naturally win. Simply put, non-incumbents are motivated to protect disclosing their best rates in an environment where historically they lose over 90% of the time. As a third party, professional negotiator using our Benchmark Intelligence and Insider Knowledge, we force the carriers to dismiss these notions and provide their absolute best-in-class contracts.

Vendor perceptions, motivations and reservations can only be managed by consultants with experience as true carrier negotiators.

We deliver savings earlier through our 6 to 8 week process

Our 100% management of the RFP reduces your internal time and resources by 95%

Carriers are invited based upon your selection or our recommendations

Only with extreme savings and sound business principles will G2 recommend carrier migration

We provide the statistical information to all carriers so that incumbents and non-incumbents have the same information to create a pure competitive environment

100% of our negotiations include the Tier-1 local, long distance and wireless carriers

Our streamlined RFP is founded on each clients’ specific requirements and single-focused on improving carrier contracts

We provide all the carriers with the statistical information they need to price your business aggressively

For more information on G2’s capabilities in this practice area please contact us.

Carrier Consolidation

The first step in combining services is contractually consolidating carriers. Carrier and contract consolidations result in more elastic commitments, streamlined and simplistic procurement processes, centralized and consolidated carrier invoices, deeper discounts and overall flexibility for your business.

Carrier Minimum Annual Commitments (MAC/MARC) and other liabilities are purposeful and inhibit companies from strategically managing their telecom volumes. While commitments cannot be completely eliminated, leverage can be applied in the negotiation to better manage your carriers and ultimately consolidate your business.

Carrier consolidation is defined to be both internal and external. Internal consolidation occurs when the products and service categories with the same carrier are brought under one contract and one commitment. External consolidation is the pulling together of multiple carrier services under a primary (and perhaps secondary) carrier while eliminating other vendors.

Companies almost never have their complement of carrier agreements be “Coterminous.” Typically, every contract has a unique end date, therefore precluding consolidation. The solution is not a quick fix. The first step is to negotiate all carriers across the board (both Mid-Term and Incumbent-Only negotiations will be the predominate strategy) and put all carrier agreements under the same start date and consolidate internally. During this initial negotiation, carrier leverages may exist to implement some external consolidation based upon uncommitted revenue. The second step occurs during subsequent negotiations when all carrier agreements expire on the same date and any further consolidation is desired.

G2 negotiates coterminous agreements across all carriers and service types

Consolidate local, long distance and wireless under a single carrier contract with a single commitment

Better leverage your business with incumbent carriers for future negotiations and with more options

For more information on G2’s capabilities in this practice area please contact us.

Incumbent-Only

G2 does not rely upon a competitive environment, large commitments or other commonly held carrier leverages that are utilized to extract carrier savings. We hold the carriers to a simple standard. We know the very best rates in the industry, the Top 2%, and we hold your carrier to this requirement.

In order to maximize long-term savings, Carrier agreements should be opened up and negotiated when sufficient leverage exists and market changes allow. It is not necessary to wait for the end-of-term to leverage incumbent carriers for better price points. Over 50% of our practice is negotiating solely with the incumbent carrier, where a competitive environment does not exist.

It is a misconception that a Multiple Carrier RFP (Request for Proposal) is the only way to extract the largest amount of savings during a contract negotiation. As an independent consultancy, and as former carrier negotiators, we have the immediate credability needed to instill the threat of loss even when negotiating solely with an incumbent carrier. Our benchmark intelligence gives us the ability to identify the leading edge of the market and the authority to request of the carriers the specific price points, terms and conditions to create a World Class agreement at any time.

The strategy with the carriers is simple, either write down your business today or lose it tomorrow.

We leverage our benchmark intelligence to extract savings that is identical as to what that carrier would offer in a fully competitive RFP

Negotiations result in a pure decrease in cost with zero impact to service or end users

An RFP is not necessary to maximize leverage with your incumbent carrier

Through carrier coaching we help the carrier help themselves in retaining your business

We utilize a Carrier Requirements LetterSM that is detailed on the price points, terms and conditions necessary to retain your business

This strategy remains 100% successful in over a decade of professionally negotiating contracts

50% of the negotiations we conduct are incumbent only

For more information on G2’s capabilities in this practice area please contact us.

Wireless Optimization

The Wireless industry requires customers to pay a significant price for unused minutes or for “overage” minutes that cost the carriers the same as a standard “plan” minute. Every month that a company is billed for wireless accounts that are not optimized represents one month of charges that can never be recovered.

Negotiations must be conducted in conjunction with a wireless optimization. Wireless Optimizations alone do not maximize savings.

With G2, Wireless Optimization is a mechanism to decrease cost coupled with a streamlined provisioning mapping process. Complicated carrier billing formats, ever changing rate plans & features, and unstable end user usage volumes creates a wireless environment that is clearly in favor of the carriers. We change the paradigm in which wireless services are procured by extracting wireless billing and usage data at the lowest carrier billing element and benchmarking current price points against the leading edge of the market. G2 forensically aligns each and every wireless subscriber line and all associated plans, usage, discounts & features with World Class pricing to enforce an enterprise-wide strategy directed at minimizing cost and maximizing flexibility.

Immediate opportunity for cost reduction so why wait for savings that are non recoverable

Pure financial exercise with no impact to service or disruption to end-users

There is typically no carrier or technology migration

Optimization alone will not produce the savings our clients require, a true optimization must also include the negotiation of industry leading plans & pricing

With an accurate inventory and volume trend, we establish the optimal rate plan configuration for each subscriber line based on unique usage & feature requirements

For more information on G2’s capabilities in this practice area please contact us.

End-of-Term Negotiations

We use our Insider Knowledge and Benchmark Intelligence to go beyond just creating new agreements and savings through market rate decreases. By definition, most deals signed on any given date will be average. G2 aggressively leverages the carriers to provide leading-edge pricing, terms and conditions provided only to the top 2% of the market

Agreements that are near the end of their term typically have the fullest flexibility regarding negotiation strategies. Common strategies are either a fully competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) or an incumbent only bid. In either scenario, as former carrier negotiators, G2 has the instant and full credibility needed to apply the appropriate leverage points and employ the most aggressive strategy. Many things need to be evaluated in a new negotiation such as technology changes, network migration costs and any possible commitment shortfalls.

Telecom RFP’s are the most time consuming, tedious and difficult sourcing exercises. G2 leads and manages the entire RFP process – data collection, inventory creation, document development, carrier administration, process management, timeline enforcement, proposal evaluations, savings analysis, Carrier Coaching, legal reviews and rate implementation validation. However, the competitive RFP environment is not enough. Incumbents know they do not need to approach non-incumbent pricing because of migration costs. Non-incumbent carriers rarely provide enough savings to justify network migrations because they believe the incumbent will naturally win. Simply put, non-incumbents are motivated to protect disclosing their best rates in an environment where historically they lose over 90% of the time. As a third party, professional negotiator using our Benchmark Intelligence and Insider Knowledge, we force the carriers to dismiss these notions and provide their absolute best-in-class contracts.

It is also a misconception that a Multiple Carrier RFP (Request for Proposal) is the only way to extract the largest amount of savings during a contract negotiation. As an independent consultancy and former carrier negotiators, we have the immediate creditability needed to instill the threat of loss even when negotiating solely with an incumbent carrier. Utilizing our benchmark intelligence to identify the leading edge of the market we have the authority to request of the carriers the specific price points, terms and conditions to create a World Class agreement at any time.

Depending on negotiation strategy an RFP may or may not be necessary, an RFP is not needed to apply the proper amount of leverage with the carriers to obtain leading edge rates

We have the precedents to thwart carrier threats of reverting to tariffed rates

We can manage the negotiation process even past contract expiration dates while eliminating any carrier-imposed liabilities due to expired agreements

With contract expiration dates fast approaching, we can prepare and create the necessary customized inventory in less than two weeks

We typically close out negotiations in 6-8 weeks

Through carrier coaching we help the carrier help themselves in retaining your business

For more information on G2’s capabilities in this practice area please contact us.

Recently Executed Contracts

Agreements that have been recently signed are without question the most difficult to negotiate. However, applying G2’s superior resources can establish savings that are as drastic as if the agreements were at the end of their term.

Ethics, fair business practices and legal terms confine a company to live up to signed contractual documents. That being said, as former carrier negotiators with insider knowledge, G2 has the instant and full credibility needed to apply the appropriate pressures on the carrier to open those agreements up and maximize long term savings. As a credible third party, G2 shifts leverages away from the carriers through managing commitments to a minimum, positioning unprofitable price points and establishing the overall threat of loss. The ultimate position is that the carriers need to concede to G2’s pricing requirements or this will be the beginning of the end for the relationship. The concept is simple; the carriers write down their business today or lose it tomorrow.

The best way to see if there is an opportunity for cost reduction is to allow G2 to conduct a risk free Value Assessment of where your new contractual rates lie in the market.

Carrier contracts and associated commitments can be “opened up” and evaluated at any time

Telecom expenses that are billed at correct contractual rates, regardless of whether or not those rates are competitive, are non recoverable. If a telecom contract has recently been executed, time is of the essence to verify if those rates are leading edge

Even in newly signed agreements we can hold the carriers accountable for supplying non competitive rates

Although this is incumbent only and early in term negotiation, if the carrier does not perform to our requirements we will manage the commitments to a minimum

We can set the stage for instilling with the carrier the threat of loss

50% of the negotiations we conduct are incumbent only

For more information on G2’s capabilities in this practice area please contact us.

Terms & Conditions

Establishing a best in class telecommunications contract does not end with negotiating leading edge pricing, best in class terms and conditions are equally as powerful.

Price points are constantly changing but there is a limit as to how good terms and conditions can get. G2 knows the very best terms & conditions in the market and leverages that knowledge and precedent in every negotiation we conduct. In order to provide your company with the flexibility it needs, while minimizing your liabilities with the carriers, terms and conditions need to be established that relate to your business – not just the carrier’s. The largest strength is the knowledge of what the carriers are willing to concede.

Do not let the carriers enforce an agreement that only protects their interests and security. G2 negotiates terms and conditions that equally protect yours.

With our experience as carrier negotiators we have been witness to the very best terms and conditions offered

Terms and conditions are typically standard and off the shelf. We negotiate terms and conditions that are specific to the needs of your business while further gaining flexibility within your commitments

Carriers will often claim that many points within proposed terms and conditions are standard and non negotiable. We have the insider knowledge and precedents to dispel those claims

Service Level Agreements (SLA) and Quality of Service (QoS) standards can be extremely difficult to negotiate but can have powerful impacts to your business when negotiated to the leading edge of what the carriers will concede to

Best in class rates are not reliant upon large commitments

For more information on G2’s capabilities in this practice area please contact us.

Commitment Shortfalls

No company should ever pay shortfall penalties to the carriers.

G2 has the precedents to know what the carriers are willing to concede to when attempting to apply shortfall penalties. The reality is, carriers attempt to use volume commitments as a ploy to offer better rates. Through our experience as former carrier negotiators, G2 has the Insider Knowledge to dispel what the carriers want you to believe. Volumes and price points are not linear. When a client is facing shortfall penalties, G2 will stop the carriers from applying those penalties based on the precedents we have, establish a commitment that is appropriate for the client’s volume of business and most likely reduce costs. G2 can accomplish this because we have the instant and full credibility with the carriers to establish that the volume commitments enforced were inappropriate in the first place.

The fundamental argument is a simple one. No one knows your volumes better than the carriers themselves so why would they allow you to over commit yourself?

Carriers use shortfall penalties as leverage to force you into a new bad deal

Commitments are arbitrary and should not be imposed for better pricing

We are a source of precedents to hold the carrier accountable for their inequitable correlation between price points and commitments

We have seen countless carrier contracts that have the same price points as yours with half the volume commitments

We have the experience and credibility to hold the carriers accountable for imposing commitments on you that were improper

The carriers know your usage and spend volumes better than you do

For more information on G2’s capabilities in this practice area please contact us.

International Negotiations

G2’s experience negotiating international telecom services, both wireless and wireline, is extensive through over a decade as a consultancy and also in terms of negotiations on behalf of the carriers. Due to the scope and size of clients that G2 represents the majority of our negotiations include many components of international negotiations. Most of these negotiations involve complex, multipoint wireline network services that span the full spectrum of MPLS, Private Line, Frame Relay and International Access. Our expertise is inclusive of international locations throughout Canada, Latin America, South America, virtually all of Europe, Australia, and Asia (with an extensive focus on Pac-Rim countries).

Within the carrier-world, there were many instances of negotiations that took place that incorporated wireless concerns. Specifically, G2’s Cofounder & President John Sinsley negotiated Sprint’s contract agreement with Iridium, a unique carrier with an expansive global reach. Other companies that were negotiated by John for international concerns (he was lead for National Accounts and all of Sprint’s Government Accounts) include Boeing-Rockwell, Exxon, NASA, the operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Office of the White House, and the former FTS-2000 bid that was won jointly by Sprint and MCI.

G2 feels that international-specific negotiations for segments of business do not dramatically differ from the domestic US – though, we recognize that the domestic US is “much more easily” served in many capacities. It is commonplace that many carriers with domestic concerns have strategic counterparts internationally, so there are two points of contact to work through on the “account team” basis, and furthermore on the financial, decision-making side of business negotiations.

For more information on G2’s capabilities in this practice area please contact us.

TEM Sourcing Advisory

Typically, cost reduction is not the only driver for outsourcing. It has the potential to have a significant impact on business through improving the quality of operations and administrative services along with reducing fixed and variable costs. Establishing the right outsourcing solution can result in substantial optimization of critical business functions.

G2 is the leader in Outsourcing Advisory Services specific to the narrow industry of Telecom Expense Management & Mobile Device Management. Through these advisory services, we provide our clients with the strategic business expertise and operational experience needed to create the foundation for successful sourcing solutions and partnerships. When engaging in a sourcing relationship, it is imperative to establish value now and flexibility for the future.

From the needs assessment to implementation, all the way through to vendor performance management, our experts have the fullest depth and capabilities in all areas of TEM & MDM to manage and support every step of the outsourcing lifecycle. With so many outsourcing options (SaaS/hosted, licensed or BPO/managed) and a vast array of TEM suppliers, our Insider Knowledge of the industry is an essential asset in analyzing the cost and risk, implementing the right sourcing solution and minimizing the impact to business. The result, increased process efficiencies and deep sourcing savings that directly impact your bottom line and further increase profitability.

For more information on G2’s capabilities in this practice area please contact us.

Restructuring

With so many industries in a very fragile state, it is not uncommon for an organization to find itself in a distressed situation. There are a multitude of opportunities and solutions that can provide relief to a company in distress. One such opportunity is often overlooked. The opportunity to decrease telecommunications expenses and minimize carrier contract liabilities can have a significant positive impact to a business. Telecom expenses are generally a top five, non-core expense with annual spends ranging from hundreds of thousands to hundreds of millions of dollars per year.

In business, a dollar saved does not translate to a dollar earned. A dollar saved equates to twenty dollars in new revenues. Over G2’s near decade of helping clients reduce telecom expenses through strategic sourcing and contract negotiation services we have saved our clients 35.6% on average. An example of the impact G2 can have on a distressed company is illustrated by some very simple, yet proven math.

_____________________________________________________________

Annual Telecom Expense – $1,200,000

Cost Reduction via G2 – 35.6%

Annual Cost Reduction – $427,200

Cost Reduction translated to new revenues – $8,544,000

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The savings opportunity and financial relief that G2 can deliver is immediate. Our typical telecom negotiation and cost reduction process is initiated and completed with in eight weeks with zero impact to business. These savings stem from a pure financial exercise that is 100% led and managed by G2. If your business is restructuring you cannot afford to over look one of your largest expenses.

For more information on G2’s capabilities in this practice area please contact us.

Mergers/Acquisitions

The merging of two or more companies is an extremely complex and difficult task. Every phase in the acquisition or merger process has a very high probability of costly and time-consuming errors being encountered. The most successful mergers follow a structured and focused road map with clear strategic objectives, detailed implementation plans and a focus on minimizing disruptions to business.

One of the many M&A complexities is the alignment and consolidation of telecommunications networks, inventories, carriers, buying agreements and carrier support teams. A disciplined approach to managing a successful telecom consolidation lies in the leadership and execution. G2’s experience provides companies undergoing M&A’s with the detailed framework, strategic objectives and flexible approach to provide a customized solution to successfully accomplish what is other wise a daunting task.

ANALYZE – EXECUTE – INTEGRATE

We fully understand that each company has internal resources that have direct responsibility over specific segments of the day-to-day telecom and information technology business operations. G2 interacts with those teams to identify where improvements should be made in order to fully capture the value of the M&A. Properly merged networks, consolidated carrier agreements and improved pricing, terms and conditions result in drastic cost reductions and process efficiencies.

Strategic telecom sourcing strategies for cost containment supporting long term growth and profitability

For more information on G2’s capabilities in this practice area please contact us.

Shared Services

Today’s environment for corporate executives is filled with stringent shareholder demands, highly dynamic markets and ever-changing technologies. Even after achieving drastic cost reductions and increases to productivity, there is still no relief from the next generation of business obstacles. These challenges coupled with decentralized environments stemming from mergers, acquisitions and partnerships make today’s world for business leaders a difficult one. Within this nest of challenges lies a very real and growing problem – how to manage telecom sourcing with severe decentralization and disparate business units.

Through G2’s Shared Services Advisory solutions we lead clients in assessing, consolidating and executing world-class telecom agreements, thus streamlining telecom sourcing and drastically reducing costs. Leveraging the telecom volumes and commitments of stand alone business units, consolidating carriers and carrier agreements, minimizing liabilities and applying rates that are at the leading edge of the market has a powerful impact on business.

Carrier migration and consolidation

Inventory and Network Services Profile creation and analysis

Coterminous and consolidated carrier agreement execution

Contract negotiation process 100% led and managed by G2

Single POC for carrier support teams

Leveraged volume commitments

Carrier agreements vs network services GAP analysis

Current pricing vs Benchmark evaluation

Commitment volume management, carrier liability control

Managed telecom sourcing strategies for cost containment supporting long term growth and profitability

For more information on G2’s capabilities in this practice area please contact us.

Advisory Services

G2 provides Advisory Services to Fortune 500 and Global 100 companies across all industries. Our clients are some of the most well-known names in business with telecom infrastructures spanning across the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific. Companies face similar struggles but not all scenarios are the same. By employing certain segments of G2’s core competency, Telecom Contract Negotiations, we can apply niche solutions to address specific client environment needs. Whether a company is facing mergers & acquisitions, experiencing business downturns & restructuring or working to centralize disparate business units G2’s results driven solutions can provide the crucial leadership necessary to achieve corporate goals.

For more information on G2’s capabilities in this practice area please contact us.

Let Our Work Speak for Itself

G2 provides Contract Negotiation services to Fortune 500 and Global 100 companies across all industries. Our clients are some of the most well-known names in business with telecom infrastructures spanning across the Globe. It is only through the synergy of our exclusive Benchmark Intelligence and Insider Knowledge that G2 redefines the market

Fortune 100 Retail Drugstore Chain

G2 was hired to negotiate new Wireless agreements with each of this client’s incumbent providers. This client has over 5,000 retail locations and 100,000 employees, which includes a complex supply network and mission-critical wireless needs.

Fortune 100 Retail Drugstore Chain

Situation

G2 was hired to negotiate new Wireless agreements with each of this client’s incumbent providers. This client has over 5,000 retail locations and 100,000 employees, which includes a complex supply network and mission-critical wireless needs.

This client utilized all aspects of Wireless services, including voice, data, text, telemetry and laptop tethering. They had previously used a G2 competitor to negotiate their contracts in the past, but selected G2 for this negotiation after hearing about G2’s successes for other clients in similar situations.

In addition to negotiations, this client tested G2 with streamlining their Wireless program and recommending more efficient and cost-saving practices.

Negotiation

G2 commenced negotiations with all three incumbent carriers at a Bidder’s Conference utilizing a multi-carrier approach. G2 honed in on specific price targets and carrier offerings that were unique to each carrier and utilized one-on-one coaching to ensure the results matched expectations.

Per the client’s request, G2 negotiated an aggressive program for employee-liable subscribers that offered significant savings to the employee, but also included a substantial credit/rebate structure back to the corporate level.

While the initiative was presented as a competitive RFP, G2 leveraged each carrier individually such that no users would need to be migrated as the client had requested. Essentially, this was a three-carrier incumbent strategy with each carrier being carefully leveraged to write down their existing business.

Result

G2’s efforts yielded a reduction across all three carriers of 43.9% without any user migration.

Contracts were finalized at easily attainable user tiers, and included deep discounts, recurring credits, and custom plans for voice, data, text and international users. G2 also achieved major device concessions for specific devices that were selected by the client and improved several critical contract terms and conditions.

In conjunction with the negotiation, G2 performed a comprehensive review of the corporate wireless policy and device management, then offered several recommendations for improvement. With the client’s endorsement, G2 also created an “Implementation Blueprint” that gave clear instructions to the carriers outlining expected rate plan modifications.

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Fortune 150 Oil & Gas Equipment and Services Company

This multinational equipment and component provider for the oil and gas industry had numerous carriers with varying contract end-dates, and wanted to consolidate their network services while achieving significant cost savings.

Fortune 150 Oil & Gas Equipment and Services Company

Situation

This multinational equipment and component provider for the oil and gas industry had numerous carriers with varying contract end-dates, and wanted to consolidate their network services while achieving significant cost savings. Both wireline and wireless services were addressed, and the complexity of the network spanned over 1,000 locations over six continents. A total of eight wireline carriers and four wireless carriers comprised 90% of the customer’s spend, and each carrier, due to long-term relationships and capabilities, necessitated consideration during negotiations. The total, prenegotiation annual costs for wireline services was $6.4M and the wireless costs were $4.9M.

Negotiation

G2 presented a multiple-carrier RFP negotiation strategy to this customer. In order to provide all carriers under consideration with a “level playing field” it was determined that a Bidder’s Conference would be held in which all incumbent carriers, and select non-incumbent carriers, would be present. The customer’s Executive management communicated to G2 that negotiations had to completed in less than 60 days based on their internal time frames. Two rounds of negotiations were conducted – the first, to obtain
solid quotes and to short-list those carriers that responded with impressive pricing, terms and conditions. The second round of negotiations was completed in order to fine-tune all aspects of proposal responses. The second round of negotiations was finalized on the 41st day from the commencement of negotiations.

Result

The customer’s timelines for efficient and effective negotiations was met by G2’s oversight in the RFP initiative. During the first round of negotiations the 12 incumbent carriers and 4 non-incumbent carriers were short-listed to a total of 9 carriers. The second round of negotiations maintained the 9 carriers, but the focus was on segmenting the network services in a manner that was consistent with best practices for the customer and which satisfied the combination of the most comprehensive coverage, optimal network solutions and, contractually, which granted the most flexibility and cost reductions. In the aggregate of wireline and wireless services, G2’s negotiations resulted in a 38.3% reduction of costs. This savings amounted to $13.2M over the course of the new 3-year term contracts. Beyond savings, terms and conditions were improved and all contracts were negotiated with a common end-date which paved the way for better corporate control of the customer’s telecommunications contracts.

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Fortune 150 Transportation Company

This client engaged G2 to negotiate new contracts with all three of their incumbent Wireless providers. Across all carriers, they utilized nearly 35,000 Wireless devices including traditional voice, voice and data, laptop aircards and push-to-talk plans.

Fortune 150 Transportation Company

Situation

This client engaged G2 to negotiate new contracts with all three of their incumbent Wireless providers. Across all carriers, they utilized nearly 35,000 Wireless devices including traditional voice, voice and data, laptop aircards and push-to-talk plans. They also deployed a large fleet of telemetry devices used for a myriad of purposes such as WAN back-up, on-board instrument monitoring and maintenance bay and storage yard tracking.

Initially, this client conducted negotiations on their own and then partnered with a competitor of G2. However, after several months of negotiations with only modest results, this client recognized G2’s expertise and hired us to spearhead an 11th hour competitive RFP effort. G2 was informed that all three carriers were to be retained and that user migration was not preferred. There were also several business-critical and unique wireless applications that needed to be taken into consideration with each individual provider.

A unique aspect of this project was the significant reciprocal business relationships and executive ties that required negotiations to be conducted tactfully and with careful consideration.

Negotiation

After analyzing the client’s Wireless user base and historical usage, G2 identified several areas to target for improvement during negotiations, as well as custom rate plans that the client was not aware of. G2 conducted a multiple-carrier, competitive RFP for various Wireless services with all three incumbent providers.

In addition to pricing reductions, G2 focused on improvement to terms and conditions, such as accelerated device refresh periods, waivers of termination fees, corporate incentives for employee-liable growth, minimal commitment levels and improved service levels.

During negotiations, G2 escalated our demands to contacts at the highest level in the carrier organizations and leveraged recently-negotiated contracts in order to gain carrier concessions.

Result

This 11th hour negotiation netted a 33.2% reduction beyond the best efforts both of this client and the competitor prior to engaging G2. Additionally, G2 reduced telemetry pricing by 60.7%, which is the fastest growing area of Wireless spend for this client.

G2 negotiated waivers of many key Wireless features such as: upfront and annual credits, allotments of termination and early upgrade waivers and improvements across the board to all Voice, Data, AirCard, Text, International and Telemetry Plans, including numerous unprecedented Custom Plans that were designed specifically for this client. G2 also successfully negotiated verbiage that allows for other subsidiaries of this client’s parent company to purchase under the new agreements.